32
Out in the reaches of deep space, on the Almeracian Empire's border with nonaligned space, the Imperial corvette Stinger crossed into Almerac's sovereign territories again. The nonaligned portion of interstellar space had once been part of the Dominion but the Dominators had been driven back to their original pre-invasion space by the Daxamite hero known as alternately as Mon-El or Valor. Mon-El was not Lar Gand's actual name but the young explorer had crash landed on Earth prior to the Dominators invasion between the collapse of the original Justice League Unlimited and its reinstatement as a United Nations Task Force.
Suffering from amnesia, Superman had bequeathed the moniker Mon-El on Lar Gand because he'd crash landed on a Monday and he had Kryptonian styled powers under a yellow sun and DNA marking the Daxamite as an offshoot of Kryptonian stock. During the brief invasion, thousands of humans vanished without a trace since the Dominators had learned of the human meta-genome and wished to harness its power. "Mon-El" operated as a superhero known as Valor throughout the Dominators failed effort to conquer Earth. Having recovered his memory as the Dominators fled, Valor took it upon himself to find and recover the missing humans.
And Valor intercepted a Dominion fleet carrying the humans they were already experimenting on. When Valor crippled the fleet and liberated the gen activated humans, he found all of the survivors possessed superhuman gifts. And some had been physically transformed so they would never blend in with the populace anymore. Others required physical environments too harsh to support terrestrial life on Earth.
So Valor utilized the star charts he'd mapped out coming to Earth and led the humans on a colonization effort throughout the newly liberated regions the Dominators abandoned fleeing from Valor's wrath. While colonies established themselves, Valor protected them from a myriad of external threats and natural disasters. But once the colonies had proven themselves to be viable, a woman named Glorith transferred Valor into the Phantom Zone where he would endure for a thousand years while his legend grew amongst the interstellar human colonies.
Eventually Valor would be freed by the Legion of Super Heroes. An organization born of the legends of the Justice League of Earth and the legends of Valor himself amongst the far flung human colonies. Glorith's plans were two-fold; the first was to create an effective fighting force to block Mordru from achieving universal conquest in the name of the Lords of Chaos. The second was too stymie her own former master, the Time Trapper, from doing the same and securing past, present, and future in his own name.
That wasn't to imply Glorith was altruistic. Her plans for the LSH were to eventually manipulate them into defeating Darkseid's revived ambitions when he awoke from a thousand year slumber and allow her to become the Dark Queen that ruled the universe. And with her complete mastery over time itself, she'd planted agents throughout the timeline and throughout the known and unknown universe in order to secure her desired outcomes.
But none of that was of any consequence to the Stinger's crew. The colonial space Valor had carved out had merely served as a convenient neutral meeting site for the crew's rendezvous with Dominion envoys. Earlier in the week, they'd met with the Khunds and persuaded them to wage total war against the Gordanians. Not to be outdone by their savage rivals, the Dominators had agreed to Almerac's proposals as well. Now, having secured the future of her people, Kalea-El was returning home.
"The busard collectors are almost done siphoning hydrogen gas from the brown dwarf we're orbiting," Captain Alara informed Kalea. Alara was Kalea's frequent co-conspirator on the former Crown Princess' missions of state and Kalea's one true friend, "The reactor inside the hyperdrive is almost filled to capacity. One more jump and we're back at Almerac itself."
"So I take it the Empress has granted us clearance through the pickets," Kalea sounded amused.
"Kalea, you just saved the Empire. Neither the Empress Maxima nor the Warlord Ultraa are going to blow you out of space on your way to report your success," Alara frowned.
"How many times do I have to remind you I'm still an exile?" Kalea mused, "I can't even legally cross the border."
"And you've been an agent of Maxima's Empire just as you were of Marcus' Democratic Reform Movement," Alara knew it still hurt Kalea to hear Marcus' name but sometimes she needed a good kick in the head and hearing the name of the man Kalea had loved and personally executed usually did the trick, "You've been 'illegally' going in and out of Almerac's border since before the war began."
"Maybe today's the day they settle my case then," Kalea didn't sound frightened. Nor did she sound pessimistic or resigned. She simply sounded…content. With Almerac saved from annihilation at Gordanian hands, Kalea knew her mission was over. She'd accept whatever reward her mother felt due her. Whether renewed exile on Argo once again or execution this time around.
"I know what you're thinking," Alara accused. And she did because Kalea had confided her expectations to Alara in the past, "Maxima will not execute her own daughter and I doubt you're headed back to Argo. You saved the Empire! You wanted to earn your legal redemption and the opportunity to restore your citizenship. Gods, woman! I think you've done enough. Stop punishing yourself."
Kalea finally turned from the observation port to face Alara. Seeing two startling blue eyes still surprised Alara. Kalea had openly worn her cybernetic prosthetics since she'd received them. Her artificial eye had always looked normal expect for its red iris. Now it color matched her natural left eye. And her right arm was covered in synthetic flesh for the very first time. Alara knew beneath Kalea's pants her legs were similarly covered.
Kalea had never asked the Techno-Organic Union to cut away her healthy limbs but once they did so, Kalea had done as she always did and bulldozed her way through the Almeracian prejudices against cybernetics. Of course, until a thousand years ago prosthetics had been accepted by the people until renegade physicians used them to control their patients and stage a palace coup. Since then implants and prosthetics weren't banned but the stigma was so great no one accepted them.
And then the Crown Princess herself had been transformed into a cyborg. Several assassination attempts had occurred afterwards. The perpetrators always described their mission as one of mercy. Kalea had simply grown to flaunt her distinctiveness as though she were courting death.
So when Kalea had returned from the Techno-Organic Union with a new eye and flesh covered limbs, Alara had naturally asked Kalea why she'd changed her stance. Kalea's answer was simplicity itself, "It's hard to work undercover when you're the most noticeable person in the room."
It was only afterwards that Alara learned of Kalea's overtures to the Khunds and the Dominators. Her change of appearance was subtle enough to throw them off. They thought she was a decoy and not Kalea herself. But once they saw Maxima's writ authorizing Kalea to negotiate on her behalf, both sides willingly sat down for talks. And no one ever thought to hold a no value hostage.
And Kalea would have made an attractive prize for the Dominators. Five thousand years ago, when Almerac first began its path of conquest, Krypton had reached out as well and conquered over a thousand worlds. But a thousand years ago they abandoned all of their colonies except for Argo, Krypton's sister planet. The Daxamites had refused to return to Krypton since exposure to the planet had altered their genetic code. Their intense allergy to lead came from being born in Daxam's biosphere so the Daxamites would have been lepers amongst the genetically "pure" Kryptonians. Even Argoans were suspects in the purists' minds.
Kalea was a child of both Krypton's last scion and the Blood Royal of Almerac. No Dominator geneticist could have resisted such a prize subject. And Almerac would have gone to war to liberate Kalea. Five thousand years of Imperial rule built upon the back of subjects and slaves, it had taken a genocidal war to teach Almerac's nobility and citizens that all of the races and species living with Imperial borders shared an equal passion in defense of their lives.
The Almeracian nobility possessed gifts even the average Almeracian could only dream of. Psychokinetic abilities including telekinesis, flight, telepathy, and metallurgical manipulation. All of which Maxima had enjoyed since birth. But Kalea's Kryptonian heritage minimized her Almeracian gifts. Her DNA carried the traits but they were all recessive in her. But since they were there at all meant a Dominator could harness them.
And Kalea's legal status notwithstanding Maxima would have emptied vital defense points to send fleets to rescue her only daughter. And Ultraa would have led the campaign. Maxima's heart still leaned towards Kal-El and his example but Superman refused to leave Earth and the people were pressuring Maxima to take a consort again. Ultraa was a hero to the masses and after the Democratic Reform disaster, so was Maxima.
Maxima's reforms were finally going through because Maxima had selected commoners, citizens and subjects alike, along with specially chosen slaves from across racial divides to manage the implementation of those reforms that affected them. Who better to govern change than those who the change directly impacted?
But Kalea knew very well that Ultraa truly admired her mother and would probably be her consort. A development Kalea understandably had mixed feelings about despite the logic behind it. Maxima was still early into her child bearing years so Maxima could still have numerous children from Ultraa just as her father, Kal-El, had another daughter by Diana of Themiscyra.
Kalea thought it was just as well she no longer had ambitions regarding the Imperial throne. A pure blood offspring of the Almeracian Blood Royal would supersede Kalea's own claims to it. Alara saw the cloud in Kalea's eye and changed the subject.
"The reactor should be coming online any minute now," Alara told Kalea, "We're almost home."
"Any news from the front?" Kalea asked.
"The Gordanians are repositioning their fleets. Long range sensors and intelligence assets indicate both the Khunds and the Dominators struck the Gordanians flanks. Unconfirmed reports have a coalition of Vegan forces led by Thanagarian survivors attacking the Gordanian rear," Alara happily reported, "The pockets left behind have been driven back by our front line forces and our lines have been reinforced from the rear. The Empire's central holdings are being secured by the reserves. All in all, it seems your plan is a resounding success."
"So long as no commander transforms into a glory hound and advances beyond our old borders," Kalea sighed, "The Khunds and the Dominators would see that as a betrayal and would turn on us as soon as the Gordanians are dealt with."
"Warlord Ultraa expressed himself in the…starkest of terms when it came to the fate of whoever crossed the reclaimed border," Alara smirked.
"Captain Alara, report to the bridge. We have a potentially hostile unknown inbound straight for us," Lt. Jendo, Alara's second in command, announced through the intercom.
"Disable the Doomsday weapon," Kalea commanded. The corvette class vessels in Imperial service served a two-fold mission. Inserting themselves into otherwise unreachable areas for reconnaissance and to the deliver a supernova causing weapon of system wide destruction if ordered to. But the weapon could be permanently sabotaged upon the captain's, or the mission specialist's, command. As mission specialist, Kalea outranked Alara aboard her own ship.
Alara gave instructions while she and Kalea left the observation deck and went straight to the bridge nestled in the heart of the ship. She didn't waste time upon her arrival, "Identify the threat."
"Unknown," Jendo repeated, "It appears to be a lone rider on a rocket cycle that isn't wearing an atmo suit."
"What?" Alara was stunned into disbelief, "No one can survive hard vacuum."
"Lobo can," Kalea named the dreaded last Czarnian.
"Lobo is a bounty hunter," Alara was shaken by the thought, "He'd have no interest in a military vessel."
"A military vessel transporting me," Kalea stressed, "I have more enemies than the Empire itself."
And Alara knew Kalea had earned every one of them, "Distance to intercept?"
"Five thousand klicks," Jendo began sweating.
"Disengage the drive section and the forward batteries and pilot the command section to a nearby moon," Kalea commanded, "He may believe we died in the crash."
"He might be right," Alara hated to admit.
"Captain, the closer we are to the drive section when the reactor is breached the surer that bet is going to be," Kalea warned her friend.
"Do it," Alara tersely ordered.
The bridge crew sealed the section off from the rest of the ship. The engineers in the rear and the gunnery crew in the forward hull were now left for dead. Alara called up a chart of the solar system.
"Where are we?" Kalea asked.
"Over the planet Orinae in the Orias solar system. There's a moon nearby called Granitus. It has an atmosphere thick enough to protect us from cosmic rays. But it's mostly a carbon dioxide atmosphere so we'll need rebreather masks to convert the air into something breathable," Alara read off her data.
"Captain, the hostile has breached the drive section. The reactor has gone critical," Jendo reported.
"All hands brace for impact! Alara shouted.
Even without the Doomsday weapon, a critical fusion reactor detonated like a small supernova. The shock waves drove the command section into Granitus' surface making an already hard landing a harsh one. Half the bridge complement died, including Jendo. Four enlisted officers survived. Jax, Setter, Imiya, and Jarri called out one by one when asked about their status.
"No one could have survived that explosion," Alara reasoned.
"I could have," Kalea pointed out, "And so could Lobo."
Alara did not want to hear that.
"It seems your daughter's plan is already bearing fruit," Ultraa concluded at the end of his report to Maxima, "We've already secured our former borders and have advanced no further as we were pledged to. I admit I initially had my doubts but this is sheer brilliance."
"It will be recorded as such if the Dominators and the Khunds turn on each other next as Kalea surmised they would," Maxima was still cautious in her outlook, "But the reasoning is sound enough. Predators thin the herd by striking the weakest and the Gordanians have severely weakened themselves by first engaging the Thanagarians in a prolonged war before setting in on us. Kalea's argument was that though the Dominion and the Khund Empire will eventually emerge stronger we'll have had a thousand years or more to bolster our own defenses and develop alliances to strengthen our position with."
"I was also leery of the conscription protocols but it seems the best soldiers aren't always Almeracians nor are the best officers necessarily nobles," Ultraa admitted.
"It only took the common cause of mutual survival to impart those lessons to our noble classes," Maxima said ruefully, "Things other galactic cultures learned earlier despite their own arrogance. I suppose we're just lucky to have lived long enough to absorb the lesson ourselves."
"It could have been worse," Ultraa observed, "We could have been Kryptonians. They were our greatest rivals at one time and now all that exists is the lone city-state of Kandor. Tell me, does either Kal-El or Kalea know of its continued existence?"
"Kal-El doesn't have a clue," Maxima shuddered, "And there's no telling what Kalea knows. I certainly didn't expect her to come back toting Argo's great library with her much less have her master the Kryptonians' written language during her time in exile on Argo."
"I understand Kalea has mastered the art of accessing all manner of forbidden information," Ultraa said wryly.
"At least she's learned some circumspection to go with her prodigious talents," Maxima sighed.
"Do you think this is a great enough personal triumph for her to finally accept being reinstated as an Imperial citizen?" Ultraa asked.
"Even if she's stubborn enough to refuse I'll make a decree to that effect anyway," Maxima decided, "Her conviction on the charge of treason will be exonerated and she'll be welcomed back to Almerac."
"Not that it's kept her away," Ultraa pointed out, "What about her succession to the throne?"
"Even if I were to restore her legal right to it, I believe she would abdicate," Maxima observed, "Kalea has learned that she doesn't handle power very well."
"But that leaves you wanting another heir," Ultraa was quick to point out.
"Kalea quite bluntly informed me she expected you to provide that service," Maxima said drolly.
"I'd be honored but why…?" Ultraa was confused.
"Kalea chose you as worthy to the task as well as worthy in the eyes of the people. They'd accept you in a way that only the greatest war hero of our time could ask for. Kal-El would always be a stranger amongst us no matter what kind of deeds he performed. When the Empire was at its gravest peril it was Ultraa that delivered it not Kal-El," Maxima modestly admitted.
"Yet you love him," Ultraa realized.
"Love is a strong word. I'm enamored with him. But it isn't really him in the end. It's what he represents. He's shown me what Almerac can be. A haven where subjects are granted safety, education, security, and opportunity. And these will be granted regardless of social status. Whether slave, subject, citizen, or noble, everyone will enjoy certain basic rights," Maxima boldly proclaimed.
"I can't say I quite see your vision but it does sound ambitious," Ultraa conceded.
"That's because we're products of the old nobility. The nobility that almost destroyed our empire when rebels ousted me and began tearing apart our system before everyone's eyes to the detriment of losing a genocidal war," Maxima still felt affronted by Marcus' blind delusion.
"If I cannot serve your vision, I will go into self exile rather than betray it or you," Ultraa pledged.
And Maxima had renewed hope for him after all.
Jax, Setter, Imiya, and Jarri were set up with pulse rifles and explosive charges all along the ridge lines surrounding the furrow the bridge module had plowed into the terrain. Alara stood to one side of the crater they were in and Kalea was on the other side of the ship. Alara relied upon gear to serve as a spotter for her troops while Kalea's natural and unnatural attributes served the same function.
An explosion lifted from a rock ridge. Weapons fire and several explosions filled the crater. Kalea used her super speed to approach Alara's position. More explosions followed and then Lobo rode over the ridge and straight at Alara. The front forks of his rocket cycle impaled Alara's chest just as Kalea reached her.
"Hey, Chicky-poo! It's the Main Man here ta collect yer sorry ass. Don't fight it, Sweets, or I'll just have to farkin' break every frackin' bone in yer luscious bod. Got it?" Lobo dismounted from his bike.
Kalea took one last look at Alara's still form. And then she got angry, "Who hired you?"
"I don't know and I don't care. Some bastich on Earth that's all I know. But I'm gettin' a bonus if I just deliver your head and I get a freebie outta usin' yer mouth as my personal cream pie after I rip it clean off. So don't make me screw up yer face or jaws. Okay?" Lobo thought he was being reasonable.
Kalea exploded into action. Her opening right cross broke Lobo's jaw. Her second blow dislocated the two halves. The she snapped his breastbone in half with a knee strike followed by pummeling his rib cage with her knees so that the splinters punctured his heart and lungs. He was vomiting blood when she relented.
But Kalea knew a few things about Lobo. He was the last Czarnian because he'd killed the rest of his race as a secondary school experiment. Afterwards he'd given himself top marks for the project. His healing factor was off the charts. In fact, he only required a single cell remaining in order to regenerate his whole body with genetically imprinted knowledge and memories.
So Kalea's natural eye glowed a deeper shade of red than ever before. The Orias system orbited a blue star. Since it was two scales beyond a yellow star, Kalea's Kryptonian attributes were supercharged in this environment. So her enhanced strength had torn Lobo apart and now her augmented heat vision incinerated him down to a single cell.
But she couldn't manage to destroy that final cell since it regenerated so rapidly it healed before it was injured. So she let it go. And then cell division began to take place at an accelerated rate. But as there grew to be more cells the process would slow as more and more complex structures were built.
Kalea tore his rocket cycle apart and melted down anything that could be used to repair it should he undo the flattening job she performed. And anything that could be utilized as a communicator was likewise destroyed. Then she turned to the wrecked command module.
Lifting it and rolling it to one side, she ripped the hatches off of the bottom of the ship. Then she tossed aside the module. Rigging its self destruct, she returned to the shuttle that sat on the hatches. Her aided and unaided eye scanned the shuttle for damages. Not seeing anything, she boarded it.
Sealing the exterior and interior hatches, she pressurized the hull. Then she listened for microscopic leaks. Satisfied her ride wouldn't kill her, Kalea fired up the engines and test cycled them. Then she removed her rebreather mask and tested the air. Afterwards she went through the preflight check before lifting off of Granitus' surface.
Exiting the Orias system, Kalea sent a message to her mother.
Even at faster than light speeds, the message took over forty minutes to reach Almerac. Then it had to escalate through military communications before arriving at the palace and the ascending through a new tier of servants. In all, Kalea had been en route to Earth for two hours before Maxima learned of it. She immediately sent for Ultraa.
"I beg your pardon, Warlord. But a grave matter has come to my attention," Maxima told her after he arrived.
"An Empress need never beg her servant," Ultraa assured her.
"Yet I'd hoped we might have moved past that point earlier today," Maxima confided. She could see him swell with hope, "Kalea sent word. The corvette named Stinger was lost with all hands. Their attacker was the Czarnian known only as Lobo."
Ultraa hissed his distaste, "He is known to me."
"I need you to proceed to the Orias system and go to the brown dwarf named Orinae and there will be a moon called Granitus. Kalea reduced this Lobo to a single cell but she said he's regenerating at a phenomenal rate. Hopefully he won't have devised a means off the moon before you arrive," Maxima told him, "I want you to use any means necessary to persuade Lobo to discuss why he attacked my daughter on the eve of her triumph."
"You think the matters are related," Ultraa surmised.
"I wouldn't be surprised," Maxima admitted.
"Lobo is a mercenary. Money and the opportunity to brag generally cause his lips to loosen," Ultraa shared.
"The imperial coffers are open," Maxima assured him, "Just try not to bankrupt the treasury."
Ultraa smiled when she did so first, "It will be done."
As Ultraa departed, Maxima looked up the solar system again, "I know it will, sweet Ultraa."
Kalea watched the miasma of light that typified hyperspace. Alara had been her only remaining friend and her loss hit Kalea like a sledgehammer between the eyes. Almerac maintained a listening post inside of Earth's solar system. It was a military secret that she wasn't supposed to know. Just as she wasn't supposed to be able to access the data feeds transmitted by the automated post.
Kalea's sense of justice may have been redefined several times over during her young life but her sense of purpose remained undiminished. Something or someone had gotten control over her father. And duplicates of Kal-El and Diana served beside him, presumably from an alternate universe. The thought of pummeling Diana's duplicate was a childhood fantasy come true.
At one point Kalea had wanted nothing more than to kill both of her parents. Now she couldn't imagine not trying to secure their safety and well being. Maxima was relatively safe on Almerac but Kal-El, or the ridiculous Clark Kent he liked to be known as, was another matter. Kalea could guess at this point that the person or persons responsible for her father's behavior were also directly responsible for Lobo's killing spree.
If so, she's take Alara's death out of their hides. But she was at a loss of who to approach upon arriving at Earth. Normally her point of contact would be Superman but her father was obviously not to be trusted right now. And the Justice League as she'd known it was no more.
Now there were four Justice Leagues, each an independent rival of the others. Kara In-Ze was nowhere to be found but Galatea was still active. And Kalea thought it poetic irony when she found out Galatea was based out of a new Hall of Justice rebuilt from the ashes of the one Kalea had destroyed.
Her father had spoken to her of crisis management on Earth. He'd admitted there was one man he trusted to do the right thing should his mind be taken over gain. That man was Batman. And the monitoring station reported that Batman also seemed to be at the Hall of Justice. So Kalea had her destination laid out. Hopefully they'd give her a chance to explain.
Majestic found John Lynch negotiating with the Riddler. He laughed as he pushed past Query and Echo. Once he was inside, he made a simple declaration.
"I want in," Majestic told Riddler.
"What happed to the Brain?" Riddler inquired.
"The same thing that embarrassed me. A group of teenage misfits," Majestic growled, "What happened to the boy whose brains are decorating the doorframe?"
"Slade Wilson's youngest son. He was my insurance policy to require you to speak with me," Lynch told him.
"Force me to, you mean," Majestic retorted.
"Well, it seems Slade found his son to be a greater threat than I am," Lynch dismissed that particular notion.
"Gentlemen, no one will be controlling you. We reserve that privilege for recruiting our enemies to our side," Riddler assured them both, "And if you join with us now you won't ever be considered an enemy."
"Who all has sided with you already?" Lynch asked.
Riddler gave them a short list and added Regulus' name as a candidate, "And we haven't heard from the Injustice Society and whoever is claiming to be the Crimson Queen."
"So Slade hasn't enlisted?" Lynch sought clarification.
"No, he's established his hostile intentions by opposing our captive Justice Leagues," Riddler specified, "We believe Nyssa al Ghul and her Injusticers have made a similar choice."
"Granting either a measure of freedom is a fatal mistake waiting to happen," Lynch griped.
"Especially since you got Slade's youngest boy killed," Majestic thought that was just too funny.
"If you're both serious, take these," Riddler handed each of them an earpiece with a small transceiver to be clipped to a belt; "We'll contact you with mission parameters when you're needed."
"I'm in as long as I get to pulp those kids," Majestic promised.
"Eloquent as always," Lynch snidely remarked, "And just as subtle."
"Actions are eloquence enough," Riddler assured them both.
As Riddler departed with Query and Echo, Lynch turned to Majestic, "I think it's time we set aside our differences and form a partnership of our own to offset any betrayals the Legion may have in mind."
"I know how to contact Regulus. He'll want in as well," Majestic opined.
"I already took the liberty before this buffoon tracked me down," Lynch assured him, "Regulus will even throw the weight of Basilisk behind him."
"So what do we do about Slade?" Majestic asked, "Because he won't go down without a fight."
"Slade isn't our only problem. Steve Trevor and Dinah Lance are members of the Justice League of America and stand opposed to the Legion's plans as well. We will encounter them all and when we do we must insure we're the only three surviving members of Team 7 afterwards," Lynch vowed.
"I can live with doing whatever it takes," Majestic promised.
"And so say we all," Lynch agreed, vouching for Regulus.
Deathstroke studied Nanda Parbat's outer walls and sentry positions through a range finding telescope. A pair of binoculars was just dead weight to man with only one eye. The roving foot patrols seemed randomized at first but given enough time their pattern emerged as well. It was evening in Nepal and the cover of darkness aided Crimson Jihad and the League of Assassins in equal measures. The Crimson Queen's elite force had been all too eager to join Deathstroke on a mission to liberate the Crimson Queen's son, Luthor El-Fadil.
The Persian descended Bailyans had forgiven the Crimson Queen for being born from an Arabic mother years ago. They'd also indulged their Queen in assembling an Arabic meta-human force. Devoutly Shiite, they'd also overlooked her Sunni heritage and her largely secular ways.
Her people were largely unaware that the "Arab Spring" that occurred earlier in the year had created several new Arab states in Africa. The first was a mirror image named Bialya run by a Col. Rumaan Harjavti. Bialya was territory taken from its surrounding neighbors, Libya's western ranges, Algeria's eastern lands, Tunisia's southern escarpment, and Niger's northern tip. Unlike many of the other revolutions, Harjavti's hadn't been supported by Western powers. But the Crimson Queen had supplied material backing and the Crimson Jihad as a surgical commando unit.
A buffer state between Libya and Egypt had also been fashioned by revolution. Kahndaq was a recreation of a kingdom that had been swallowed by the Pharaohs of old. Hawkman, Black Adam, and Dr. Fate would easily recognize its borders since Kahndaq's final fall had occurred under the reign of Khufu with Teth-Adam as his champion and Nabu as his chief advisor.
Teth-Adam had actually been born on Kahndaq before his parents were taken as slaves by the previous Pharaoh. The Tomaz family also derived from Kahndaqian stock so both Adrianna and Ahmud were well informed regarding its recreation as a state.
Scarlet Rose and her team studied all of the same points of interest that Deathstroke did but they drew entirely different conclusions. Scarlet Rose was the first to admit, "This won't be easy."
"Try impossible," Jewel complained.
"No, it's doable," Deathstroke countered and activated his range finding laser, "Find my laser point and you'll see your point of entrance."
He quickly winked out the laser before some assassin spotted the red dot on the perimeter wall. The Crimson Jihad studied it and the surrounding area with their night vision gear. It soon became obvious that the indicated section of wall was outside of the normal patrol overlaps. Hardly any men guarded the wall itself.
"I must be blind to have missed that," Scarlet Rose complained.
"It's sleight of hand. They want to draw your attention to the gates where they can collapse an army onto your position," Deathstroke revealed, "But they're still trained in old school methodologies. They aren't prepared for agents with your abilities."
"Your reputation is that you work alone," Scarlet Rose indicated, "I take it we're the distraction?"
"The rest of your group is the exterior distraction," Deathstroke clarified, "You're penetrating the fortress with me."
"I'm surprised," Scarlet Rose confessed, "Why am I being honored?"
"Because you're the only one that can get in and out alive," Deathstroke said bluntly, "I need you to send a message to Talia. She has to know she's still vulnerable after all."
"How?" Scarlet Rose asked.
"Her chambers are guarded by dozens of identical men named Ubu. Your job is to decimate the Ubus," Deathstroke informed her.
"But why stop there?" Scarlet Rose asked.
"Talia will realize you didn't have to and you only left her alive out of professional courtesy for not simply killing your nephew," Deathstroke explained, "Her warped sense of honor will manage the rest."
"And who will you be facing while rescuing El-Fadil?" Scarlet Rose asked scornfully.
"Only Lady Shiva and her handpicked cadre," Deathstroke calmly answered, "Want to trade?"
"No," Scarlet Rose succinctly, and meekly, answered.
"I'll get El-Fadil out and to you but you'll have to leave without me. I'll make my own way off of this mountain after I secure your exit," Deathstroke told her.
"Will the ISA fulfill their bargain to return to Bailya?" Scarlet Rose didn't protest Deathstroke's offer of self sacrifice because she felt as certain as he did that he'd get out alive.
"They will or they'll answer to me," Deathstroke replied evenly, "Call it enlightened self-interest."
"Are you certain you wish to be left behind?" Scarlet Rose's tone softened.
"Once your band is gone, I won't have to hold back anymore," Deathstroke explained, "And my legend will pass into the folklore of the League of Assassins so I won't have to worry about them interfering in my operations anymore."
"You're confident," Scarlet Rose remarked, "But is it misplaced?"
"The League is good. Damn good. But I'm just better," Deathstroke convinced her.
"So when do we proceed?" Scarlet Rose asked.
"Take twenty minutes to attend to biological functions and then we spend the next hour positioning ourselves. At the end of that hour we move into position and go right on the end of that hour."
And what if we're not in position?" Scarlet Rose wondered.
"We will be or I'll kill every man and woman who wasn't," Deathstroke pledged.
The Injustice Society was using three RVs and a tent to camp out in Bird Creek Meadows inside the Yakima Nation Reservation just east of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Bordering on the Mt. Adams Range, the Yakima Nation had possession of one-quarter of the dormant volcanic mountain while the national forest encompassed the other three-quarters of it.
The Gifford Pinchot itself included the Mt. St. Helens Scenic Park and the mountain itself and as far south as the Columbia River, as far north as the Mt. Rainier National Park, and as far east as the Yakima Nation. The Legion had been set to meet the Injustice Society at nearby Indian Creek since it would've been considered neutral ground. But the arrival of the Titans had skewered that notion.
Bronze Tiger and Tala had magically teleported away to summon help from the Injustice Society while Cinder, Horus, and Tattooed Man beat down Killer Croc and Mad Hatter. Now the Titans were the focus of the Injustice Society's ire.
Cinder unleashed a plasma wave at the Legion/Injustice Society force. Wizard and Tala erected a mystical shield. Solomon Grundy just bore the brunt of it. As Rival sped around the Titans' flank, Horus clotheslined him. Grundy roared as he charged Horus. The would-be Marvel was shoulder checked into the tree line. Falling timbers crashed to the forest floor as a result of the resultant battle.
Tattooed Man unleashed a horde of dark energy tattoo manifestations. Gentleman Ghost was startled when they could grab hold of him. Even the Shade found his Shadow Realm derived powers couldn't shelter him. Shiv and Tigress tried battling their way to the source of their threat.
Icicle took the forefront in the battle against Cinder. Killer Wasp and Geo-Mancer circled around her. She erupted a solar flare-like discharge. Geo-Mancer buried himself in the dirt to recuperate while Killer Wasp took a dive into the creek and rolled around to extinguish the flames. Icicle was just amazed that Cinder had melted his ice barriers with a single discharge.
Horus traded blows with Grundy but found the Chaos magic infused zombie was as powerful as he was. So Horus sped around Grundy and lifted him into the air. Spotting Lookinghouse Lake, Horus swooped off in that direction and dropped Grundy in the center of it. Since he was already dead, it didn't matter of Grundy could swim or not.
Returning to Indian Creek Campground, Horus landed beside Tattooed Man just in time for Rival to bounce off him travelling at a few hundred miles an hour. Bronze Tiger and Ragdoll attacked. Horus discovered that a magically endowed gift of combat knowledge and skill wasn't his patron god's to give. Only his limited invulnerability kept him in the battle against Bronze Tiger.
Ragdoll was brutalizing Tattooed Man and Mark Richards spotted Tigress and Shiv closing the gap. So he unleashed the last of his dark essence tattoos and they plagued the living opponents that he fought. That left others freed to torment Gentleman Ghost and the Shade.
Cinder forced Icicle behind an igloo of his own fashioning. She saw that Killer Wasp, Geo-Mancer, and Rival were ready to rejoin the fight. Horus was having his ass handed to him by Bronze Tiger and Tattooed Man and herself were about to be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
She gathered with Tattooed Man, "Signal the ISA we want to extract."
"I think you're right," Tattooed Man agreed.
The Titans vanished in blue flashes of light. Wizard turned to Tala, "You may tell your mistress we agree to an alliance."
"What of poor Grundy?" Tala fretted.
"The simplest of locator spells will find him and bring him here," Wizard promised and then cast the spell.
A dripping wet Grundy blinked as he surveyed his surroundings. Then he tried getting the water out of his ears. Wizard smiled at Tala.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
She summoned the awakening Killer Croc and Mad Hatter, "Now I am."
Bronze Tiger handed out earpieces and transceivers, "You'll receive instructions through these. Somehow I don't think you'll have long to wait before being called into action."
"I should hope not," Wizard declared.
Pylon used a cylindrical force beam to knock a hole through the selected portion of the League of Shadows' fortress wall. Ramjet flew straight through it, simply because Ramjet could only fly in straight lines. But the field that surrounded him as he flew made him invulnerable to harm and nearly unstoppable. Scimitar was next through the breach as Pylon knocked back swarming outer defenders on both sides. Jewel went through the hole to create a gem-like wall to shield the invaders from overhead archers. Falcon preyed upon everyone Scimitar and Ramjet left standing. With the entire garrison force guarding Nanda Parbat distracted, Deathstroke and Scarlet Rose affected an undetected penetration.
Deathstroke used his sword to easily cut down the patrolling assassins who hadn't joined the outer defense. Scarlet Rose began to wonder once again why she was even with him, "How do you know where to go?"
"Insider information," Deathstroke said curtly.
They reached an inner divide and Deathstroke gave her instructions, "This is the sanctum. If you take a left and go down the corridor until divides you'll then wish to take a subsequent right and go through the double doors. Inside the Ubus will be guarding Talia. Decimate them."
"And you're taking a right here," Scarlet Rose guessed.
"There are two rooms to the right. One is a crèche for all the young raised here until they reach the age to be apprenticed. The second is a nursery. El-Fadil is currently the sole occupant of that nursery," Deathstroke explained, "And he is guarded by Talia's best."
"The Ubus aren't the best?" Scarlet Rose felt insulted.
"No. They're the most unwavering and the most loyal. They'll die at Talia's command without questioning why or hesitating even for a second," Deathstroke explained, "Lady Shiva's force thinks for itself. And Lady Shiva herself has beaten Batman, the Question, and Bronze Tiger. The three most dangerous men in the world besides myself."
"Has she ever beaten you?" Scarlet Rose asked.
"I've never fought her but Nyssa al Ghul has and she told me how to beat Shiva," Deathstroke informed her, "Now it's just a matter of doing it."
"Why has Talia held El-Fadil and not told my sister about it?" Scarlet Rose wondered.
"Talia took El-Fadil from Lex Luthor before her father died as revenge for her son Damian al Ghul's death. No one knows what her ultimate intentions were but Talia reported El-Fadil's death to Luthor when he attempted to persuade her to join in with the Legion of Doom or at least remain neutral in regards to its ambitions. Talia agreed on neutrality. Meanwhile, everyone assumed your nephew was dead," Deathstroke revealed, "Talia's plans are much more convoluted now. She wants to raise El-Fadil and then when Luthor is dead or dying, insert him into inheriting LexCorp since his DNA tests would prove he's Luthor's legitimate heir."
"And this informant of yours disagrees with the plan?" Scarlet Rose asked.
"Not the merits of the plan per se but she does take issue with the method. She just has a hard time separating children from their mothers. She feels it's better to kill them outright than orphan them," Deathstroke explained.
"My sister will want to meet her so that she can properly reward her," Scarlet Rose predicted.
"Maybe someday but I can guarantee it won't be anytime soon," Deathstroke promised her, "Now go. We still have a mission to accomplish."
Scarlet Rose blasted in the double doors leading to the antechamber filled with men named Ubu. They all roused from their beds and those that had been alert drew their bladed weapons. She manifested psychokinetic bird talons and claws and speared the charging Ubus. Then she crushed the ones within her grasp.
Scarlet Rose began backing down the corridor. Ubus relentlessly followed. She created a glowing rose that bloomed to have razor sharp petals. It began to spin and slice its way through the milling Ubu crowd. Blood sprayed everywhere and the screams lifted into the night.
Scarlet Rose ducked down the junction back to the center hall where she'd split away from Deathstroke. Creating three razor discs she hurled them with her mind into the charging Ubu force. They couldn't duck below and they couldn't leap above them so, other than the pair that managed to squeeze between the spinning death dealing discs, the others were cut to pieces.
But two did advance on her while the final rearguard made its way towards her. Scarlet Rose turned and ran until she reached the outer balconies. Seeing archers trying to circumnavigate Jewel's structure, Scarlet Rose used her bird talons to knock them off of the balcony.
Then she herself leapt from it and created a bird image around her and she flew free of the fortress walls. Ramjet blew through the wall and pursued Scarlet Rose as she soared for the rock outcroppings below Nanda Parbat. Falcon and Scimitar tore through the milling assassins outside the walls. Pylon created a cylinder that they rode inside of as it stretched forth towards Scarlet Rose's position. As they went across the clearing, Jewel sealed the breach with a diamond plug.
Deathstroke terrified the wet nurse and nursemaids when he burst into the palatial nursery. Luthor El-Fadil's crib was a work of comfort and art. Deathstroke bundled the toddler up in a sling and exited the room. Predictably, the nursemaids had called down Shiva's all female force on him.
"Stand down, let me be, and you won't enter your version of eternity," Deathstroke offered.
"We could say the same, infidel," Lady Shiva's lieutenant offered.
Deathstroke never said another word as he killed Talia's best fighters. Lady Shiva herself met him at his exit point, "You are as good as you were promised to be, Slade Wilson. Hand me the child and I'll grant you a clean death."
"I'll have to settle for a dirty one," Deathstroke knew she couldn't lash out as well as she could if he weren't carrying El-Fadil in the sling. He honestly couldn't gauge how well he would have done if she hadn't been encumbered. Still, he left her alive as a token of his respect.
Deathstroke reached Scarlet Rose's position with half of the League of Assassins pursuing him. He unslung the child and handed him to his aunt, "Go! I'll be fine."
Scarlet Rose nodded to Pylon. He activated the comm. beacon. She gave Slade a grateful gaze as the Crimson Jihad vanished in blue flashes.
Deathstroke drew his sword and yanked his pistol free of its holster and then he gave the League of Assassins something to always remember him by.
At the undisclosed ARGUS medical facility the JLA currently had patients in, Praxis slipped Gypsy into Galatea Hamilton's mind. What Gypsy found upon entering was a wall built around Power Girl's mind. But the lock wasn't too terribly difficult to pick. But when the gate released, it had no interior lock or handle.
Gypsy felt a rush of mental energy and she barely escaped the wave composed of Power Girl's psyche. Galatea came up out of the bed swinging. Only Blackhawk's presence kept her from tearing Gypsy and Praxis apart.
"Are they on our side?" she asked her husband.
"Long explanation," Blackhawk grinned, "The short version is, yes, they're on our side."
"Our?" Power Girl noted that word.
"The United Nations has given the senior officers of Blackhawk Express permission to assist the JLA however we can during the present crisis. So while the kids field test our new aircraft, Lady Blackhawk and I have volunteered for duty," he explained.
"For now we must cope with Teth-Adam and Adrianna," Praxis pronounced.
"We'll be back later," Gypsy promised.
What Gypsy found when Praxis inserted into Teth-Adam and Adrianna's minds was that the wall was built around a single word or phrase. "Shazam!" for Teth-Adam and "I am Isis!" for Adrianna. When she unlocked each of their minds, they uttered their particular trigger word and summoned Shazam's mystic lightning and transformed into Black Adam and Isis respectively. The transformation also healed everyone of their mortal injuries.
"How can we repay you?" Black Adam asked as he held Isis.
"By getting back into the fight," Gypsy requested.
"That's a given, child," Isis assured her.
Sue Dibney arrived after being paged by Praxis. She met them in a patient lounge and welcomed them all back to the fray. Black Adam and Isis took Osiris with them back to the Hall of Justice. Meanwhile Sue told Blackhawk Lady Blackhawk had just arrived at the Hall and was getting her potential assignment from Penny. Penny had requested Blackhawk arrive ASAP for a briefing as well.
Power Girl hungrily kissed Blackhawk before he used his UN issued comm. device to summon a teleport to the Hall of Justice. Sue turned to Praxis and Gypsy, "Could you do this with John Stewart?"
"I don't see why not," Praxis admitted.
"But what's going on in his head?' Gypsy worried.
"That's why we're bringing Tea," Sue nodded towards Power Girl, "If anyone can knock a cranky Green Lantern on his ass, it's her."
John was held in the hospital wing of Belle Reeve. The prison was administered by ARGUS and held various low to mid-level metas. Without his Green Lantern power ring, John was just a highly trained and capable ex-Marine. But with it, he was nigh unstoppable.
Liberating his mind only took a few seconds. John awoke and eased himself to a seated position, "I don't suppose you've freed Shayera yet?"
"No, we're still on the fence about you," Sue shared.
"He is free of Saturn Queen's influence," Praxis declared.
"Good enough for me," Power Girl added.
"Same here," Gypsy confessed.
"Me too," Sue handed John his power ring.
"Let me charge this thing and I'm all yours," John requested.
"Do you have any idea of where the Hall of Doom or where the Legionnaires are hiding?" Sue had to ask.
"No, and I wish I did," John's growl spoke of coming vengeance.
"That's what I was afraid of," Sue sighed.
Steve Trevor managed the debriefing-interrogation of Major Disaster and Big Sir. Blacksmith sat in as their advocate. Batman and Nyssa observed from another room via surveillance monitors.
Hula Hula signaled Batman that Deathstroke was now the last Titan to return. He urgently wished to speak to Batman himself. Batman turned to Nyssa.
"Let me know if Trevor misses anything," he requested before departing.
White Rabbit sauntered into the room, "Where's Bats?"
"He's being briefed by Slade," Nyssa told her, "Something you might wish to overhear."
"Nah, Slade briefed me before alerting Bats," White Rabbit winked, "The Crimson Queen is going to tell the Legion to go to hell even if she won't side with us."
"Too bad, she would've made an invaluable informant," Nyssa mused, "How did my 'sister' take being raided?"
"They'll be rebuilding Nanda Parbat for years to come," White Rabbit snickered, "Lady Shiva is severely wounded, her corps of women warriors is dead, and the Ubus are decimated. There's probably less than a dozen of them left. And Talia's sanctum sanctorum was successfully penetrated. The only reason Scarlet Rose didn't go back to finish Talia off was Slade wouldn't let her."
"And I forbade Slade from letting anyone do so when I gave him the information he required to secure the Crimson Queen's cooperation," Nyssa divulged.
"Whatever you told him, the Crimson Queen is ready to bear him children," White Rabbit was amazed, "Can she even still have children?"
"Slade ignored Lynch and had Gunslinger kill his youngest son," Nyssa informed White Rabbit, "I spoke with Pat Trayce about it and she isn't coping well at all. We need to keep an eye on her. If Rose Wilson were to learn of the fate of her half-brother, she could defect from Deathstroke's Titans and join the Teen Titans."
"She's probably going to anyway," White Rabbit dryly observed.
"True, but how many of Slade's secrets would she reveal otherwise?" Nyssa asked.
"There's more to it than that, isn't there?" White Rabbit realized.
"Jericho had uncharted mental abilities, including those that took over and controlled others' minds," Nyssa shared, "He could have been a natural countermeasure to Saturn Queen. Yet Slade killed our option of using him as such."
"Maybe that's exactly why Slade had him killed," White Rabbit ventured.
"Trayce labeled it a 'mercy shoot'," Nyssa revealed, "That's the exact phrase Slade used to persuade her to do it."
"Maybe we should see it that way as well," White Rabbit suggested.
"What's the news from the Order of St. Dumas?" Nyssa changed the subject.
"Sister Lilhy doesn't represent the Order. Hell, she doesn't even represent a majority within the Order," White Rabbit told her, "The majority wants Claire Connelly alive so the Order can control temporal technology."
"Their usual operating standard," Nyssa remarked.
"But a very vocal minority want Connelly dead so no one can have the tech," White Rabbit explained, "Lilhy herself falls in this camp and she's known to have undue…influence over Azrael. So they simply got her to him before the majority ever even got organized."
"Yet Jean-Paul Valley is going along with the scheme," Nyssa observed.
"Yeah, but why?" White Rabbit had to wonder, "He usually is a total suck up to Bats. He'd impale himself on his swords if he thought Batman would approve."
"Jean-Paul wants to be the hero he was bred to be," Nyssa commented, "So he was given an opportunity to do so. Yet his conscience, molded more by Batman than the Order of St. Dumas, is weighing on him. It will be fascinating to see which master he chooses in the end. His own conscience? The Order of St. Dumas? Or Batman?"
"This is gonna get messy," White Rabbit whistled, "What about these two?"
"They're telling the truth. They're largely ignorant of the greater dealings within the Legion," Nyssa stated, "But Blacksmith is in for a disappointment. I'm placing these two within the Injustice League not the Injustice Rogues as she is scheming to do."
"She's gonna be pissed," White Rabbit sing-songed.
"She'll cope or she'll find herself back in that deep hole in Marrakesh where I found her. She leads the Injustice Rogues through my patronage and my pleasure. If either ceased to exist than so does her place in my Injusticers," Nyssa said coldly.
"So if you're satisfied, why let Trevor run with this cock and bull session?" White Rabbit wondered.
"Col. Trevor has felt rather impotent these last few days," Nyssa smiled, "Let's bolster his confidence."
The Female Furies had arrived at the Hall of Doom and Luthor was feeling antagonistic, "So Darkseid sent you to confirm my loyalties."
"It wasn't my first choice either," Lashina grated, "But the Master commanded it so here we are."
"I'm certain he would've understood if you'd stayed behind to watch your lover die," Luthor sneered, "Or you could've continued to beg him to cure Supreme."
"You could've cured him but instead you punished him for serving the Master instead of you," Lashina growled.
"He chose his loyalties and the price that came with them," Luthor said diffidently.
Lashina snapped her whip around his throat and energized it. He gurgled as he sank to his knees. Gilotina gently laid a hand on Lashina's arm.
"The Master wants him to remain alive," Gilotina silently urged her commander to spare Luthor.
"The Master is used to disappointments," Lashina snarled.
Bernadeth watched it all with rapt intensity. Gilotina drew one of her swords, "Lashina, enough!"
Lashina stopped infusing energy into her whip and Luthor collapsed and gasped for air. She unwound the whip from his throat while he struggled to regain his customary poise. Luthor rose and seemed as confident as ever.
"Human worm, can you cure Dev Em?" Gilotina asked.
"Can I what?" Luthor feigned deafness.
"Can you cure Dev Em?" Lashina ground out. She desperately wanted to torment the man for a longer period of time.
"Perhaps if I was properly motivated," Luthor said condescendingly.
Lashina slammed him up against a nearby bulkhead and whispered so low that even the nearby Gilotina couldn't overhear her, "Darkseid doesn't trust you and right now he certainly doesn't trust me. Perhaps we can be of mutual service to one another. I'm to kill you at the slightest hint of disloyalty. I can engineer it to look like your faithful if you guarantee Dev Em's survival."
"What's she saying?" Bernadeth screamed frantically.
"I can cure Supreme if I can get to him inside the next forty-eight hours," Luthor advised her, "But I need access to Desaad's laboratories."
"I can get you unrestricted access," Lashina promised.
Bernadeth ripped Lashina away from Luthor. Lashina jutted her coiled whip into Bernadeth's throat and energized it. Bernadeth recoiled and drew her twin Feron blades.
Gilotina put her sword to Bernadeth's neck from behind, "I'd be cautious if I were you."
Lashina knew she needed confederates for her burgeoning plan to succeed. Bernadeth, Wunda, and Speed Queen were all too ambitious to cooperate when it was in the best interest to betray her. Malice Vundabar was too flighty. Mad Harriet was appropriately named. Stompa was a long time ally but she doubted Lashina's wisdom in this business since her first loyalty was to Granny Goodness. Artemiz was unpredictable and could land on either side of the loyalty equation. But Gilotina seemed sympathetic to her plight.
"Show us your prisoners," Lashina demanded.
"Excuse me?" Luthor seemed unexpectedly slow to catch on.
"I understand you have Big Barda in custody," Lashina reminded him.
"Yes, we do," she could see the understanding in his eyes now.
"What a coup it would be to bring her to Granny," Bernadeth cackled.
"The honor is yours," Lashina decided, "But you'll need an escort."
"I don't need help," Bernadeth huffed.
"This is Big Barda we're talking about," Lashina scolded her, "Or have you forgotten?"
"How large an escort are you talking?" Bernadeth was suddenly suspicious.
"Artemiz and Gilotina will remain here with me. The rest are yours. Tell Granny you singlehandedly captured Barda. We'll see if she believes you," Lashina offered.
Luthor led them to the dungeon level. Captain Atom's containment suit sagged between the damping rods and the siphons attached to him. Monitors outside cell doors displayed the inert Dr. Mist. Belphegor paced to and fro in her cell. Shayera Hol spent every free moment exercising to capitalize on any chance of escape. Owlwoman was still fueled by grief and rage and reacted to the slightest sound.
Releasing Barda, Lashina stood back while the former commander of the Female Furies attempted to beat her old team into the ground. It took Lashina energizing her whip around Barda's throat to give Stompa and Mad Harriet the opportunity to slow Barda down long enough for the Furies to cooperate well enough to subdue Barda. Then Malice summoned Chessure and the shadow demon carried Barda in its maw as the Female Furies prepared to depart.
Still, Bernadeth couldn't comprehend why Lashina would relinquish the glory of this capture. It was obvious Lashina didn't think Granny Goodness would believe Bernadeth accomplished the capture on her own. Maybe if she included the other Furies in the tale it would be more palatable?
After the others had left, Artemiz confided in Lashina, "I'm surprised you included me in whatever endeavor you're planning."
"It wasn't my first choice," Lashina admitted.
"I'm glad you did though," Artemiz confessed, "It may seem like Unus, Secundus, and Tertius are my only loves but I had a New God lover once."
"What happened then?" Lashina asked.
"The Master deployed him in a strike against Orion and Bekka killed him," Artemiz shared, "So I know what's like to lose a love that consumes your very being. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
"Gilotina?" Lashina inquired.
"Maia was her name. Steppenwolf chose her to be his whore. He killed her as she resisted his raping her. The Master chose him over my truth so I know how capricious the Master can be. I will stand by you as you try and rectify this wrong."
"Touching," Luthor sneered.
"Haven't you ever loved anyone?" Lashina scowled.
"I had a son once," Luthor replied, "I didn't even get to know him long enough to love him before he was taken from me."
"I can help you find him," Lashina offered.
"He's dead now," Luthor said evenly, "Killed by the father of an ally."
"There are many types of death. Some aren't as permanent as others," Lashina counseled him, "Now prepare yourself. We're leaving for Apokolips."
The Justice Leagues were assembled in the main lounge inside the hall of Justice. Trevor was greeting Power Girl's return, "I'm glad to have you back, Galatea. And to have you and Lady Blackhawk aboard as well."
Blackhawk tipped his hat, "Penny has been very forgiving of newbies."
The Teen Titans and JSA All Stars entered the room and began mingling. Trevor spotted Sue signaling him while Deathstroke and Nyssa conferred with Batman, Nightwing, and the White Rabbit. As he departed, Bat-Girl and Starling chatted up Blackhawk and Lady Blackhawk while Katana pulled Power Girl into an adjoining room.
Inside, Question, Huntress, Hawkman, Troia, Black Adam, and Isis waited for her. She was puzzled, "What's going on, guys?"
"We need to discuss one of our own," Question said, "Specifically Azrael and his new handler, Sister Lilhy."
Power Girl knew she wasn't going to like where the conversation would go.
Nightwing approached Little Mermaid when Batman's confab broke up. Ulla smiled at him, "Something else on your mind other than me, Grayson?"
"Deathstroke and Nyssa are taking the Titans and the Injusticers off the grid for 'unspecified reasons'," Nightwing complained, "First they won't gather with us and now they're off on some secret missions they won't even share with us about."
"Maybe they don't feel comfortable with the rest of us," Ulla suggested, "After all, just a few days ago we would've been arresting them on sight."
"That hasn't stopped Killer Frost," Nightwing deadpanned.
"Well, she does seem attached at Godiva's hip," Ulla admitted, "But her sister and Enchantress are not only representatives of the Justice League Dark but they're practically in bed with the All Stars."
"Don't give Goldilocks any more ideas," Nightwing groaned.
"You know what I meant," Ulla scolded him.
"Anyone seen Black Bat?" Nightwing suddenly wondered.
"Not since the Injusticers began moving around," Ulla realized.
"Let's see if we can find her," Nightwing suggested.
Nightwing and Ulla used Hula Hula's security override to open Cassandra Cain's room. Inside she was utilizing isometric exercises to practice martial arts techniques, "I heard you coming. I was disappointed in that, Dick Grayson."
"We have a social underway. Would you care to join us?" Nightwing asked.
Black Bat turned to face him, "In five minutes Batman is going to assemble the leaders of the respective teams. Deathstroke and Nyssa have already rallied their teams through the teleporter networks. They won't be in attendance as Batman plans the assault on the Hall of Doom."
"Who are you again?" Nightwing asked.
"Please do not disturb my meditations again until we are summoned to deploy," Black Bat shooed them out and sealed the door again. They could hear the lock cycle.
"She's certainly…friendly," Ulla remarked.
Nightwing got Batman's page, "And she's uncannily accurate."
Red Robin was the only team representative not to arrive on time. Batman grew impatient, "Nightwing, please inform Red Robin if he cannot attend on time when summoned, he will be demoted and I will hand control of the Teen Titans over to Red Hood."
Batman had explained Red Hood's true identity to Nightwing so he knew Batman would be slapping Red Robin's face. And Red Robin obviously looked up to Batman the way Dick had used to admire Batman. Bruce Wayne was a figment of Batman's imagination anyway.
Nightwing tried the social but Red Robin was missing. So he tried the lad's room but there was no response. Grabbing Hula Hula again, he had the Deputy Chief of Operations override the lock only to find Red Robin wasn't there and hadn't been except to drop off a backpack. He knew Ulla had been keeping tabs on all the various team members so he and Hula tracked her down.
They found Ulla with Plastic Man, Penny, and their son. Penny actually provided the major clue, "Ah don't think ya'll find Red Robin all by his little lonesome."
"What'ya mean, Penny?" Hula Hula asked.
"All the Teen Titans are talkin' `bout it. Wherever Rose Wilson is, Red Robin's there with her and vice versa," Penny shared.
Nightwing looked at Ulla and Hula Hula, "Rose Wilson?"
"Slade Wilson's daughter," Penny prompted them all, "Y'know? Deathstroke?"
They all drew a blank and Penny huffed, "Oh, for the luvva...it ain't that hard, people. Ya'll are lookin' for Ravager. She an' Red Robin are turnin' out to be quite a team on and off the field, if ya'll know what Ah mean."
"How can't they with all the subtle clues you gave them?" Plas joked.
"Oh come on! Ah tried subtle and they just gave me stupid looks," Penny complained.
"Thanks, Penny," Nightwing hustled Hula Hula off and Ulla decided to join them.
Outside of Rose's assigned room, they tried to door chime. Finally a muffled female voice demanded, "Go away!"
Hula Hula overrode the locks and Nightwing ducked as three shuriken sailed by where his head had just been. Two very naked teenagers sprawled across the bed just as the covers and their clothing did across the room. Rose just grinned.
"Good reflexes," she congratulated Nightwing.
Red Robin held a pillow in front of his face and accidently spoke in his native accent, "Can we help you?"
"You were called to a team briefing fifteen minutes ago," Nightwing watched as movement behind the pillow indicated Red Robin was staring at Rose. Without a trace of guilt she showed him his transceiver. She'd obviously turned the sound off.
"Oops," she said in an unrepentant tone.
"Can you excuse me?" Red Robin's accent was back to American generic.
"Use this shower," Nightwing instructed.
"I'll join you!" Rose eagerly hopped off the bed. Ulla blocked her way.
Rose looked angry, "You people have no sense of timing."
"Neither do you," Nightwing accused.
Red Robin emerged fully clothed in record time. Rose gently kissed him, "Until later then."
He smiled at her using one of his expressions, "You know it."
Her cheeks warmed by his using one of her favorite phrases. Then Nightwing hustled Red Robin down the corridor. Hula Hula reported back to the operations center.
Rose, still fully naked, hunted around for her eye patch. She affixed it into place, "Y'know, it's weird but people get more freaked out about my missing eye than they do if I'm naked."
"Everyone's eventually naked," Ulla stated, "Missing eyes are rarer."
"So why are you hanging out?" Rose asked, "Or do you just like the sight of naked women?"
"Get dressed and we'll talk about the Squire," Ulla suggested.
"Um…yeah," Rose used the shower next and then sat down in a chair, "How long have you known?"
"For about ten minutes now," Ulla admitted, "Dr. Mist had suspected of course. The Global Guardians monitored the Knight and Squire for a few years. The Squire actually outdistanced the Knight in skill. So when the Knight took the title from his apprentice and gave it to his own son before the Global Guardians became the Justice League International, Dr. Mist wanted to know what happened to the original Squire. At first the Knight was belligerent but he finally admitted he simply didn't know or care."
"Dr. Mist studied Red Robin's body movements and his analysis said it was a good bet he and the original Squire were the same person. But Red Robin had seemed to find a place with the Teen Titans so we left him alone," Ulla shared, "Now, do you think this should have happened?"
"What do you mean?" Rose was defensive.
"Sex ramps up a relationship to new unheard of levels," Ulla advised Rose, "Do you really believe a relationship between two people on opposing sides can ever work out."
"The sex part wasn't supposed to happen," Rose confessed, "But the more we talked and shared the more things led us here."
"I wish I could be happy for you but you haven't answered the question," Ulla pointed out.
Rose knew the answer already. She just didn't like it.
Sue's report had filled the blanks until Nightwing returned with Red Robin. Batman glared at Red Robin and ignored Nightwing's pitying the boy. Just as he'd ignored Blacksmith's attitude towards Nyssa after she'd assigned Major Disaster and Big Sir to the Injustice League just as she'd told White Rabbit she would. But Batman also knew Nyssa was facing a serious problem.
White Rabbit excitedly waited for her turn to speak, "The Court of Owls has mobilized its American nests to join Basilisk in taking the Hall of Doom from Luthor. Lynch and Majestic will also be involved. And little birds say the Injustice Society will be there too."
"Will Luthor have any assets on hand to defend the Hall?" Batman asked.
"Not according to my source who is charged by Luthor with securing the installation," White Rabbit told everyone, "Two JLI personnel are being sent as well."
"Which two?" Vapor wondered.
"Booster Gold and Goldstar," White Rabbit explained.
"The perfect pair too protect a temporal agent from a Time Corps rep," Trevor commented.
Black Canary silently agreed with him. Batman wondered how Team 7 had learned of the Time Corps. That meant the entire surviving team did as well.
Batman studied the crowd, "It's time the Justice Leagues took the imitative. Basilisk and the Court of Owls are a good primer. Both Regulus and Majestic will test us so we have to be prepared. John, you're our only member from the Justice League Unlimited. But hopefully we can liberate whoever the Legion is holding prisoner in the Hall of Doom."
"Sounds good to me," John concurred.
"The most important aspect of this operation is preventing the temporal agent inside the Hall of Doom from shifting the facility into neutral time will space moves around it and relocates the base," Batman told them, "I'll field ideas on this one."